Inflow and Infiltration Reduction Program

The City of Brantford has launched a mandatory Inflow and Infiltration Reduction program that will be conducted in the Johnson Road area.

As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the performance of the City’s sanitary system, City staff will be inspecting properties in your area. This is a proactive step aimed at safeguarding the integrity of our sanitary system.

Inspections will start  December 2024 and each inspection will last approximately one hour and will occur Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.. The inspector will carry a City issued identification card.

Project area map

How to book an inspection

Inspections can be made Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. by calling 519-756-1360.

If preferred, you can also email inflowandinfiltration@brantford.ca and provide the following information:

• Your preferred appointment time and date
• Your contact information, including your name, phone number, email address, and home address

A city staff member will follow up to confirm the appointment.

Home inspection process

These inspections will take approximately one hour to complete while two City staff members will inspect the following items:

Foundation Drain Configuration

Visual observation and testing of the property’s sump pump will determine whether the home's foundation drain discharges to storm or the sanitary sewer.

Outdoor Drain Connectivity

Visual inspections of the property will include checking roof downspout connections, the condition of sanitary cleanouts, storm swale connections, sump pump discharge points, landscape drainage, and any other exterior water management systems for possible cross-connections.

Lateral Connection Inspection

Through CCTV inspection, dye testing, or further investigation, we will confirm whether there is any cross-connection from the property's storm lateral to the sanitary system.

Causes of Inflow

Inflow is stormwater that enters the sanitary sewer system from illegal or improper sources, including: 

• Connections from roof downspouts 
• Foundation drains
• Weeping tiles/sump pump connections
• Driveway drain connections from private properties
• Inlet/catch basin connections either from private property or from the right-of-way
• Direct storm sewer connections at manholes for relief and overflow purposes

Potential Issues from Inflow and Infiltration Flow

• Higher operating costs at wastewater pumping stations and treatment plants due to the need to pump and process extra flow volume
• Higher capital costs to expand/upgrade the pumping station or sewer pipe capacity to accommodate rain/snow melt/groundwater
• Sewer overflows in the conveyance system and bypasses at the wastewater treatment plants due to excessive flow for the system to handle
• Basement flooding caused by excessive flow volume in the conveyance system leading to sewer backups

Background Information

In Brantford, there are two separate systems for collecting water: one for rainwater (stormwater system) and one for wastewater (sanitary system). It has been discovered that some pipes meant for rainwater have mistakenly been connected to the wastewater system, causing too much water to flow through. An inspection was completed to confirm this, and an Inflow and Infiltration Reduction program is being carried out in the Johnson Catchment neighbourhood to investigate further and reduce potential inflow flow issues.

Systems have been designed based on their expected volume or capacity. However, issues arise when too many stormwater connections are made to sanitary pipes improperly. This can cause a significant increase in volume within the sanitary system, leading to potential flooding risks and increased costs in the wastewater treatment process.